Exploring The Lived Experiences of Young Autistic Adults in Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Nordic Journal of Music Therapy
ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rnjm20
Exploring the lived experiences of young autistic

adults in Nordoff-Robbins music therapy: An
interpretative phenomenological analysis
Ming Yuan Low, Katrina Skewes McFerran, Michael Viega, Amy Carroll-Scott,
Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick & Joke Bradt
To cite this article: Ming Yuan Low, Katrina Skewes McFerran, Michael Viega, Amy Carroll-Scott,
Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick & Joke Bradt (2022): Exploring the lived experiences of young autistic
adults in Nordoff-Robbins music therapy: An interpretative phenomenological analysis, Nordic
Journal of Music Therapy, DOI: 10.1080/08098131.2022.2151640
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/08098131.2022.2151640
Published online: 28 Dec 2022.
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NORDIC JOURNAL OF MUSIC THERAPY
https://doi.org/10.1080/08098131.2022.2151640
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Exploring the lived experiences of young autistic adults

in Nordoff-Robbins music therapy: An interpretative
phenomenological analysis
Ming Yuan Low a, Katrina Skewes McFerran b, Michael Viega c,
Amy Carroll-Scott d, Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick e and Joke Bradt f
a
Music Therapy, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, USA; bFaculty of Fine Arts and Music, The
University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; cJohn J. Cali School of Music, Montclair State
University, Montclair, NJ, USA; dDornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA,
USA; eAJ Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; fDepartment of Creative
Arts Therapies, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Research in music therapy and autistic people to date has predomi
nantly focused on communication and social interaction outcomes. The purpose of
this exploration was to explore the lived experiences of young autistic adults in
Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. To our knowledge, the body of research that seeks
to understand participants’ perspectives regarding their experiences of music therapy
and the goals they want to pursue is limited.
Method: Four autistic young adult men who had received at least 6 months of
Nordoff-Robbins music therapy services at the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music
Therapy at New York University participated in this study. Each participant engaged
in four to five interview sessions to share their experiences of Nordoff-Robbins Music
Therapy and the role it plays in their life. Interviews were analyzed using the IPA
method. A summary of the results was shared with each participant to ensure
sensitivity to and accuracy of their lived experiences.
Results: Three themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Participants attend Nordoff-
Robbins music therapy to develop their musicianship and personal selves; (2)
participants create meaningful relationships with their peers, music therapists, and
music; and (3) participants bring their sociocultural identities into music therapy
sessions.
Discussion: Participants’ responses led to a critical reexamining of “the music child”,
challenging music therapy research and practice agendas of normalizing autistic
social and communication behaviors, and suggest the need for more research that
collaborates and centers the autistic community.
ARTICLE HISTORY Received 22 November 2021; Accepted 4 November 2022
KEYWORDS Autism; music therapy; Nordoff-Robbins music therapy; interpretative phenomenological analysis;
neurodiversity
CONTACT Ming Yuan Low mlow@berklee.edu Music Therapy, Berklee College of Music, 8 Fenway,
Boston, MA, 02115 USA
This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the
article.
© 2022 GAMUT – The Grieg Academy Music Therapy Research Centre
2 M. Y. LOW ET AL.
Reflexive introduction
Having worked with autistic people at the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy
at New York University (NYU) for many years, Ming Yuan (MYL) deeply longed to
better understand the experiences of participants in music therapy sessions. While
MYL did not identify as autistic, he particularly enjoyed collaborating with members of
the autistic community and was activated by the emerging critical discourse that
centered neurodiverse perspectives. MYL started his doctoral studies with the initial
intent to develop scales to measure progress in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy.
However, he noticed that there was a dearth of research exploring autistic perspectives
on what autistic people want from music therapy services. Therefore, the study
reported here demonstrates the actualization of MYL’s interest, conducted together
with his research colleagues and mentors. Together, we inductively analyzed the
descriptions of the participants, three of whom MYL had previously worked with, in
order to represent their views in collaboration with them, to the degree they were
interested in doing so. Collectively, all authors in this article aim to use identity-first
language as advocated by the autistic self-advocate community. However, to reflect the
worldview of cited researchers in the background section, we opted to use person-first
language in instances where the authors used person-first language in their writing.
Background
Music therapists have been serving the needs of autistic clients since the 1940s
(Reschke-Hernández, 2011). Despite the long history of music therapy, few research
studies have been conducted and the majority of these have been quantitative outcome
studies aimed at normalizing autistic behaviors related to communication and social
skills (Carpente, 2017; LaGasse, 2014, 2017; Lim & Draper, 2011; Lim, 2010; West &
Silverman, 2021). Furthermore, most of these studies focused on autistic children
rather than autistic adults. While a recent Cochrane review (Geretsegger et al., 2022)
discussed the neurodiversity model of understanding autism, the authors still included
“total autism symptom severity” as a primary outcome as they considered the medical
model approach to autism as relevant for policymakers, service providers and clin
icians. The meta-analysis findings suggest that music therapy is associated with global
improvement for autistic people, specifically reducing autism severity and enhancing
quality of life.
A recent large-scale multisite randomized controlled trial examined the effects of
improvisational music therapy on generalized social communication skills in autistic
children (Bieleninik, Geretsegger, et al., 2017). The study failed to find evidence of
a treatment effect for symptom severity as defined through the medical lens of under
standing autism. Since its publication, the study has been criticized for using
a diagnostic tool to measure progress on social communication skills rather than
a measurement tool appropriate for measuring changes in functional outcomes
(Bieleninik, Posserud, et al., 2017). Further examination of the data demonstrated
that the music therapeutic relationship was an important predictor of the development
of social skills and verbal communication (Mössler et al., 2017). Turry (2018) com
mented that a major shortcoming of the study was its exclusive focus on autism
symptom reduction rather than functional gains and quality of life goals. Outcome
research that focuses on symptom reduction has been critiqued by autistic advocates
NORDIC JOURNAL OF MUSIC THERAPY 3
and a call for research focused on maximization of skills while honoring autistic
identities has been issued by the neurodiversity movement (Davies, 2022; Pickard
et al., 2020).
A few qualitative research studies about music therapy with autistic individuals have
been published, seeking to understand the perceptions of music therapists
(Markworth, 2014) and the autistic participants’ parents (Silverman, 2015) of autistic
people’s experiences in music therapy. Nordoff-Robbins music therapists have pub
lished a series of case studies (Aigen, 1998; Nordoff et al., 2007) with in-depth
narratives and analyses of the music created by the client and the therapists in the
therapy process. Warner's (2005) study included the first-person perspective of autistic
clients which explored music therapy with adults with learning difficulties. Pickard
et al. (2020) explored the neurodiversity movement and considerations for music
therapy clinicians and researchers. Young’s (2020) mixed methods research study
used Likert scale questions and interviews to explore autistic people’s experiences in
a Community Music Therapy singing group. She found that autistic participants
developed a sense of being, belonging, and becoming when engaging in group singing
activities that are driven by community music therapy values. In the wider perspective
of the autistic community and music, Bakan et al. (2018) explored the experiences of
autistic people engaging in music experiences. Thompson et al. (2020) gathered autistic
participants’ preferences in engaging with group-based music activities. Kirby and
Burland (2022) examined the functions of music in young autistic people’s lives.
Several autistic music therapists have also shared their perspectives on autism and
music therapy. LaCom and Reed (2014) discussed how the idea of stable and able
bodies reinforces hierarchies and unequal power dynamics between therapist/client,
teacher/student, helper/helped, enabled/disabled. Leza (2020) offered a paradigm shift,
or “neuro-queering” of understanding neurodiversity, which involves the practice of
disrupting neuronormativity and heteronomativity (Walker & Raymaker, 2021).
Davies’s (2022) article shared an understanding of autism and music therapy from
an insider’s perspective as an autistic music therapist. Most notably, Davies suggested
that music therapists could “enhance the strengths, confidence, self-acceptance and
coping strategies of neurodivergent people: an approach known as Neurodiversity-
Affirmative Therapy” (p. 22).
With the rise of autistic advocates in the neurodiversity movement (Ne’Eman,
2010), autistic advocates are calling for the inclusion of autistic collaborators in the
research process to have their experiences included and reduce unethical research
practices in all stages of research (Bagatell, 2010; Nicolaidis et al., 2015). The discourse
of autism research is also impacted by the evolution of the definition of autism – from
a pathological psychological condition, to a neurological disease, to a neurological
difference and disability not in need of a cure (Bumiller, 2009). Pickard et al. (2020)
emphasized the need for us to critically examine music therapy practice and position
ality by centering the narratives of autistic voices.
Therefore, it is important for music therapy and autism research to keep up with the
progressive understanding of autism. One of the autistic community’s contentions
with autism research is the lack of inclusion of autistic voices, and this is prevalent in
music therapy research. It is important to honor autistic voices to inform their
experiences of being autistic, give accurate information of the lived experiences of
autistic individuals, and minimize the spread of misinformation and discrimination
about autism (Gillespie-Lynch et al., 2017). Several studies outside of music therapy
4 M. Y. LOW ET AL.
have successfully conducted research based on interview data collected from autistic
participants (Leatherland, 2018; Raymaker et al., 2016), allowing the researchers to
gain valuable insight in autistic participants’ lived experiences.
While a handful of studies (Warner, 2005; Young 2020) have centered autistic
participants’ perspectives in research, and autistic music therapists (Davies, 2022;
LaCom & Reed, 2014; Leza, 2020) have shared their experiences from first-person
and insider perspectives, we contend that the general field of music therapy is still
having trouble reconciling the differences between the medical model and neurodi
versity affirmative model of understanding music therapy and autism. The Cochrane
review by Geretsegger et al. (2022) exemplified how music therapists might still be
beholden to the medical model of autism due to healthcare and financial systems they
are rooted in. Another example of this dissonance is Blauth and Olfield’s study (Blauth
& Oldfield, 2022) that attempted to heed the call of the neurodiversity movement and
explored the relationship between improvisational music therapy and resiliency rather
than normalization behaviors in autistic children through a secondary analysis of the
TIME-A study videos (Bieleninik, Geretsegger, et al., 2017). However, Low et al. (2022)
pointed out that the behaviors valued by Blauth and Olfied were masking behaviors
(e.g. look, smile) and pathologized natural autistic coping behaviors (e.g. fidget).
To consider possibilities of Neurodiversity-Affirmative music therapy and to radi
cally disrupt and dismantle ableist practice, we proposed that music therapists must
engage in reflexive work to identify internalized and complicity in ableism while
centering the perspectives of autistic stakeholders in music therapy practice. Given
the championing by autistic advocates of self-determination as a major goal in therapy,
the purpose of this study was to explore autistic people’s experiences in Nordoff-
Robbins Music Therapy (NRMT) by interviewing autistic participants and centralizing
these data as the foundation of the research. Through the interview and data analysis
processes, more specific questions emerged inductively: (1) What role does NRMT
play in autistic adults’ lives? and (2) Why do the participants continue to attend
NRMT?
Method
Participants and setting
This PhD research was developed by Ming Yuan Low (MYL), the first author, in
consultation with the dissertation committee, Joke Bradt (JB), Katrina McFerran
(KM), Amy Caroll-Scott, and Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick. MYL collaborated with
the director of the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy at NYU to identify
autistic adults between the ages of 16 and 35 who had been receiving music therapy
services at the center for at least six months. Other eligibility criteria included parti
cipants’ ability to (1) communicate verbally or with instant messaging technology in
English; (2) provide narrative descriptions of participants’ own experiences, according
to the participants’ music therapist; and (3) provide informed consent. Purposeful
sampling was used to recruit participants who could yield the richest data to explore
the phenomenon (Coyne, 1997). Five individuals were identified who matched the
inclusion criteria.
Several actions were taken to increase comfort and accessibility for potential
participants. After identifying the potential participants, MYL asked their parents or
music therapists to introduce the study to them with explicit instructions to allow the
potential participants to consider participating in the study out of their own will. If the
potential participants were interested, MYL arranged a consent meeting at a time and
location most comfortable for the participants. Of the five individuals contacted, four
expressed interest in participating in the study.
Ethical considerations
This study was approved by the IRB at Drexel University. All participants verbally
summarized their understanding of their study participation before signing the con
sent form.
Intervention
The study participants had been receiving NRMT services, an advanced method in
music therapy created by Paul Nordoff, a neo-romantic composer and concert pianist,
and Clive Robbins, a special educator (Robbins, 2005). Both Nordoff and Robbins
believed that every person, no matter their ability, has a connection with music. This
music connection serves as the impetus for music therapist and client to connect with
each other in a purposeful, rich, aesthetic, and creative way (Verney & Ansdell, 2010).
The NRMT approach addresses therapeutic goals using the structural and expressive
elements of music via improvised and pre-composed music. Musical experiences are
used to respond to clients in a musical and meaningful way and cultivate their
spontaneity, flexibility, and initiative (Guerrero & Turry, 2019).
NRMT relies on co-active and co-creative music making between therapist and
clients to address individualized goals. Nordoff-Robbins music therapists create indi
vidualized musical experiences based on each client’s unique strengths and character
istics while addressing their growth and support needs. Due to the improvisatory
nature of this approach and its emphasis on meeting the client’s moment to moment
needs, there is no step-by-step protocol available. Currently, all NRMT sessions at the
center are video recorded for documentation purposes (Graham, 2016).
Interpretative phenomenological analysis

The lead researcher, MYL, was guided by a constructivist philosophical worldview.
Lincoln and Guba (2013) describe this position as believing that knowledge and truth
are created by the individual mind. Constructivists propose that what people believe to
be objective knowledge is influenced by our individual perspectives, therefore making
knowledge subjective. To constructivists, facts and features of human social existence
are “formed in and through human cultural, social and material-technical practices”
(DeNora, 2005, p. 57). Therefore, meanings and knowledge are best created when
participants and inquirers work together as equals, sharing experiences that are
important to both the parties and pursuing these experiences together (Baines &
Edwards, 2018). The constructivist process of inquiry is a “conscious, systematic,
and disciplined sense-making effort intended to develop, and expected to lead to,
a more informed and/or more sophisticated construction than is currently available”
(Lincoln & Guba, 2013). As such, an interpretative phenomenological approach to
analysis (IPA) was employed for this study.
6 M. Y. LOW ET AL.
Smith et al.’s (2009) approach to IPA emphasizes the careful analysis of each case in
detail in an attempt to understand how participants make sense of their experience. In
IPA, the role of the lead researcher was to invite participants to share their sense
making of their lived experiences and be a witness in the articulation of the sense
making through the interview process, and, in turn, the lead researcher (mentored by
his dissertation committee) made sense of the participants’ sense making (Jackson,
2016). This process of the researcher trying to make sense of the participant making
sense of a phenomenon is referred to as the double hermeneutic that is unique to IPA
(Smith et al., 2009). After consulting with a music therapist who is a leading disability
theory scholar, they agreed with the lead author’s draw towards IPA amongst the other
phenomenological approaches they were considering. This was because IPA transpar
ently details the double hermeneutic process that was employed in the data analysis
process.
When conducting research with autistic participants, neurotypical researchers
might encounter double empathy problems – a phenomenon in which autistic people
and neurotypical people have difficulties understanding each other due to the natural
differences in communication and comprehension styles (Milton, 2012). Therefore,
the mutual misunderstandings between autistic participants and neurotypical
researchers could raise issues in the interview and data analysis processes needed for
qualitative research. However, Howard et al. (2019) found that IPA’s prioritization of
double hermeneutics was helpful for researchers in navigating the double empathy
problem. Using IPA, autistic participants in this study were regarded as the experts of
their own experiences, and MYL, the neurotypical lead researcher, engaged the autistic
participants reflexively. The lead researcher’s reflexive process involved supervision
from his dissertation committee and ongoing critical identification and examination of
his own understanding of autistic experiences, and mindful centering of the partici
pants’ voices throughout the research process.
Interviews
Researchers who have used IPA suggest that in-depth interviews may be the most ideal
way to collect rich, detailed, first-person account of the participants’ experiences
(Smith et al., 2009). The goal of the interviews is to collect stories, thoughts and
feelings about the target phenomenon. The lead researcher offered all participants
the choice of participating through different ways of communication: in-person inter
views, phone/video interviews, text message interviews, and arts-based explorations
using music improvisation. Three participants chose to participate in in-person inter
views in a meeting room at the Nordoff-Robbins Center, while one participant
participated via a HIPAA encrypted ZOOM video conference platform due to
COVID-19 related social distancing measures.
The interview process was informed by Smith et al.’s (2009) guidelines for inter
viewing in IPA. Interviews were conducted in multiple parts, referred to as schedules in
IPA. Interview questions were sent to the participants a week before each meeting so
that they had ample time to prepare for the conversations. Participants also had the
choice to review their most recent music therapy session videos to help them describe
their music therapy sessions. Three participants actively used the video review process
to help guide our interview process, mainly to remind themselves of the events that
unfolded in the sessions. One participant, James, preferred to narrate the sessions
himself, and occasionally requested to review the session videos to jog his memory.
The topics covered in the interview schedule included how the participants started
NRMT, their experiences in NRMT, and what role NRMT plays in their life. Two
participants, James and Larry, completed their interviews in four meetings, while
Robert and Aaron used five meetings to complete the interviews.1 All interviews
were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Sometimes, Aaron and Robert responded
with short answers – single word or short phrases. The lead researcher helped Aaron
and Robert explore different ways of expanding their responses – offering suggestions
of narratives or adjectives for the participants to choose from or using an emotions
wheel to prompt a specific description. Both participants used the suggestions and
supports to communicate which description most accurately reflected their experience.
Data analysis
Interview transcripts were uploaded in MAXQDA (Version 20.3, VERBI Software,
Berlin, Germany) for analysis. Data analysis was informed by Smith et al.’s (2009) IPA
process, using the following steps: (1) reading and re-reading of transcripts; (2) initial
noting; (3) develop emergent themes; (4) searching for connections across emergent
themes; (5) moving to the next case; (6) looking for patterns across cases.
Reading and re-reading2 was the initial step of data analysis for the participants
voices to become the focus of the analysis. The initial noting step is more commonly
known as coding in qualitative analysis and is done separately for each participant.
Three types of coding were involved: (1) descriptive coding: focused on the content of
the transcript, (2) linguistic coding: focused on the specific use of language by the
participant, and (3) conceptual coding: engaged the transcript on a more interrogative
and conceptual level, involving interpretation from the analyst (Sadkowska, 2018;
Smith et al., 2009). Next, the lead researcher, mentored by JB and KM, developed
emergent themes based on the codes generated through the previous step and reviewed
these with the co-authors. Connections across the emergent themes were then made
within each participant’s analysis. In this step, we explored how the themes fit together
for each participant. The coding process was inductive and iterative as the lead
researcher revisited each participant’s transcripts as new codes emerged. Finally, we
examined codes across participants to identify patterns to create the themes and
categories. This process involved dialogue and debate between authors 1, 2 and 6
and we closely examined links between data and codes and themes across numerous
iterations.
Sensitivity to context
Member checks were conducted with each participant to ensure our findings accu
rately reflected the narratives they had shared with MYL in their interviews. We also
wanted to use this process to ensure we were honoring autistic perspectives in our
understanding and presentation of the data. Member-checking is a contentious prac
tice in IPA because the analysis is based on the researcher’s interpretation of each
participant’s interpretation of the phenomenon, therefore there is no need to affirm
1
Participants’ names are anonymized with pseudonyms they approved.
2
The names of the data analysis steps as defined by Smith et al. are italicized.
8 M. Y. LOW ET AL.
congruency between the researcher’s analysis and the participants’ interpretation

(Bradbury-Jones et al., 2010; Caretta & Pérez, 2019). However, Howard et al. (2019)
shared that the member checking process can ensure that the researcher’s interpreta
tion of the data is as close as possible to each participant’s understanding of the
phenomenon. All participants agreed to review the findings of the study with me.
Two participants opted to meet over the phone while the other two chose to do so via
Zoom. All of the participants agreed with the summary of findings the lead researcher
narrated to them and offered no changes.
Results
The study findings are presented below through rich textural narratives. This way of
presenting the data aligns with IPA’s validity ideals of coherence in the presentation of
data – to narrate a reality for readers that honors the participants’ lived experiences
(Smith et al., 2009; Yardley, 2000). This manner of presenting data also honors the
tradition of NRMT literature and culture in presenting and disseminating knowledge
through rich textural narratives. Therefore, with the confirmation of participants
during the member checking process, participants’ examples are presented in the
form of narratives that most closely represents their voices in the interview process.
Participants
Five autistic adults were approached to participate in this study. One person declined
to participate because the interview process seemed stressful and daunting to them.
The following are descriptions of the four participants.
James
James is a Black autistic man in his 20s. He started attending music therapy sessions at
the Nordoff-Robbins Center in September 2001. During the interviews, James pre
sented himself as an expressive, emotive person with vivid memories of his journeys in
music therapy. James is very fond of recreating pop, R&B, showtunes and Disney
music in sessions. He described NRMT as if it was his second family. James’s famil
iarity with the NRMT process and culture, as well as his leadership, advocacy skills, and
musicality was evident in our observations of James’s session videos and his descrip
tion of his NRMT experiences. The lead researcher was one of James’s music therapists
eight years before this interview took place. Since then, James and MYL collaborated in
writing his speech for a symposium, and he was a participant in one of MYL’s class
projects.
Larry
Larry is a white, autistic man in his 20s. At the time of the interviews, Larry was
attending two music therapy sessions a week, one group session and one individual
session. While he lives away from his parents in a community home, he visits his parents
before and after music therapy sessions. Larry and James are in the same music therapy
group and have bonded over their love for Disney movies and music and Beatles songs.
Like James, MYL was Larry’s therapist for a year during MYL’s time at the Nordoff-
Robbins Center for Music Therapy. Since then, MYL had not worked closely with Larry.
Larry’s communication style is direct and succinct. At times, questions that required
more self-reflection and effort would frustrate him. If he was losing interest in the
interview or if the question was too hard, he would directly tell MYL or cue MYL with
a loud sigh or disgruntled facial expression.
Robert
Robert is also a white, autistic man in his 20s. Unlike the other participants, Robert’s
therapists and father were surprised that Robert agreed to participate in the study, as
they described him as someone who did not like to try anything new. Robert used to
attend individual music therapy sessions for a few years, and then transitioned to
group music therapy sessions with James and Larry. After a few years, he transitioned
back to individual sessions. His father described music therapy as the only activity that
Robert willingly participates in. During our interviews, Robert presented as with
drawn. Sometimes, Robert answered interview questions with either single word
answers or short phrases.
Aaron
Aaron is a white, autistic man in his late teens. Aaron had transitioned from individual
sessions to a group session with other teenagers. Aaron presented himself with a gentle
smile and always agreeable to many things. Throughout the consent and interview
process, MYL regularly checked in with Aaron to make sure that he did feel comfor
table participating in the study, rather than complying with an adult figure’s requests.
Aaron was the only participant in this study who MYL was not familiar with prior to
the study. His participation in the study started the day before the Center transitioned
to telehealth services. Therefore, Aaron is the only participant who engaged in the
interviews remotely. He was patient in answering the interview questions and he got
excited when we reviewed session videos as a part of the interview process. Aaron
chose his words carefully in our interviews and communicated with short, succinct,
sometimes single-worded responses. Aaron and MYL used an emotions and mood
prompt sheet (Marshall, 2011) to help Aaron explore and identify emotions he
experienced in his NRMT sessions.
Themes and categories

Analysis of the interview transcripts resulted in three themes reflecting the partici
pants’ personal desires, the community built within music therapy, and how their
sociocultural identities informed their experiences in NRMT sessions. Each partici
pant’s narratives in their interviews were so nuanced that their examples sometimes
contribute to multiple categories. To best describe each category below, we chose
examples considering the uniqueness of each participants’ journey in NRMT and
making sure all participants’ stories were represented fairly throughout the results
section. The presentation of the themes does not reflect a hierarchical order. The
themes that emerged reflected the lead researcher’s identity as a researcher/clinician
when interpreting the participants’ themes.
10 M. Y. LOW ET AL.
Theme 1: Participants attend NRMT to develop their musicianship and personal

selves
All participants had been attending NRMT for a long time, ranging from two years to
19 years. They shared how their experiences in NRMT have helped develop their
understanding of themselves as musicians and people.
Participants identify themselves as musicians. The participants talked extensively

about their music-making experiences in NRMT sessions. While music making was
a common desire across all participants, the music-making experiences differed from
one participant to another. The analysis across cases made clear that NRMT is a place
where each participant cultivates their relationship with music and develops their own
musicianship.
Robert recalled a significant moment in the session videos we reviewed together,
namely playing the violin for the first time. He related his playing of a violin to a “string
quartet”, suggesting that he made cultural connections between the instrument and its
place in music culture. In his musical explorations, Robert desires to be unique. He did
not like his therapist showing him bowing techniques, wanting to be “stubborn” and
“more than average”. When he watched himself playing the violin, he described
himself as “fabulous”, implying a sense of pride in his musical efforts.
Aaron recently transitioned from individual sessions to group sessions. He
described his investment in playing the “correct music notes” in NRMT, and reported
feeling “happy” with successes in perfecting his part, while feeling “anxious” in wanting
to play his parts correctly and “disappointed” when making mistakes. “Trying and
learning new songs” also brought him much excitement. This communicated Aaron’s
investment in music making, much alike a musician. The sessions we reviewed showed
his transition from in-person to telehealth NRMT sessions due to the COVID-19
pandemic. Aaron shared how improvised music helped him process life curiosities
and challenges to his worries of not being able to see his friends during the COVID-19
lockdown in New York City.
Participants grow and develop in NRMT. Participants reported attending NRMT

sessions to work through their personal challenges to achieve their life aspirations
and dreams. Based on the lead author’s knowledge as a Nordoff-Robbins music
therapist, these aspirations sometimes aligned with their music therapist’s non-
musical therapeutic goals. However, the participants contextualized the non-musical
clinical goals within the larger tapestry of their individual lives and their hopes for their
future.
For example, James is dedicated to his family and wishes to do his part in support
ing them financially. To achieve this, he wants to attend college and be a professional
singer or a baker. Throughout his many years of NRMT, James has explored various
facets of self-growth. One consistent narrative in his interviews was related to working
through his social anxiety in NRMT. He shared that the acceptance he felt from his
music therapists and peers helped him work through his anxiety. Self-expression was
also instrumental in his growth process. He described NRMT as “a totally new world
where I am free to express myself without any consequences and without any negative
feedback.” Along with the freedom of self-expression, James also cultivated self-
acceptance. He narrated how his therapist made him feel
you are perfect as you are, and you shouldn’t let anyone take advantage of you for your courage,
well-being, kindness because what matters most is what’s on the inside that really matters the
most.
Larry shared about exploring self-control in his NRMT sessions. He described these
instances as controlling his “energy.” Music therapy experiences are ways for him to
learn to control his “energy” to affect his emotions such as anger, fear or excitement.
For instance, we watched a session where Larry was beating the drum loudly and
persistently for a few minutes. He shared that after he let his energy out through
beating the drums, he felt “completely calm.”
Theme 2: Participants create meaningful relationships with their peers, music

therapists, and music
All participants indicated that the relationships with their music therapists and peers
are important to them. They described NRMT in different ways that highlighted the
unique aspects of the environment where relationships are built upon the celebration
of and engagement in music. Relationships that were developed and cultivated in
NRMT are unique, meaningful, and comfortable for them. Yet, the participants also
shared some concerns about the music therapy space and their music therapists.
Participants cultivate meaningful connections in NRMT. The participants shared that

they built close relationships with their music therapists and peers. These relationships
are one of the major driving forces for participants to continue attending NRMT
sessions.
Larry shared that he prefers attending group sessions because he gets to make music
with his “real friends.” He described that he is “grateful” for his peers and music
therapists for joining him and making music. It seems like his relationships at Nordoff-
Robbins grew out of bonds forged by co-active music making that is the foundation of
the NRMT approach. In contrast, because he has experienced bullying by people
outside of NRMT sessions, Larry’s use of the word “grateful” is significant because
he feels acceptance and safety in NRMT that he does not experience in his daily life.
Seeing his friends at music therapy is a big draw for Aaron to attend NRMT
sessions. In Aaron’s sessions, music is the landscape for him to build deeper bonds
with his peers. This landscape is set upon entrance with the greeting song – a song with
improvised parts where Aaron and his peers share about their week. When his peers
miss sessions, Aaron feels disappointment about their absence, showing that the social
connection aspect of group sessions is important for him. To Aaron, singing together
and “being with everyone (his peers and therapists)” makes them feel like they are his
family, closer to him than his school classmates.
Music therapists as trusted, familial confidants. The participants identified their

music therapists as more than a therapist. James, Larry, and Robert have built
a deep, personal connection with their music therapists for many years. The way
they described these relationships suggests that the music therapists offer them safety
and comfort and are able to withstand turbulence and challenges that come naturally
in long-term relationships. The most prominent example was James who shared
knowledge about the history of the center and organizational changes in the center
that we did not expect him to be privy of. Also, James first came out as gay to his
12 M. Y. LOW ET AL.
therapists at NRMT before his family members. Therefore, James’s descriptions of his
relationships with his therapists implied that he has developed a strong bond with his
therapists and the center.
Robert, for example, felt comfortable with his relationship with his music therapist
to share his concerns with him. He described his anxiety over his favorite TV shows as
a form of “suffering”. In the session we reviewed, we watched him describe his suffering
to his music therapist. The music therapist supported him “nicely” by using “kind
words” to help Robert feel better. It seemed like Robert saw his music therapist as his
trusted confidant, sharing not only his anxiety about his favorite TV shows, but also
existential concerns of his own mortality. Robert explained that his music therapist
supported him by asking him good questions and giving him good advice, suggesting
that he perceives his music therapist as having good counseling skills.
Aaron described his music therapists as attentive listeners who provide supportive
answers that not only address his emotions but also help him explore difficult chal
lenges. The seriousness of COVID-19 was impressed upon Aaron and his peers when
they discussed the shutdown of New York City and the center. Conversely, when the
subject was more lighthearted, the music therapists honored and celebrated the humor
in the conversations. Aaron shared that seeing his music therapists smile brightly both
during in-person and telehealth sessions made him feel “happy.” He also enjoyed how
his therapists incorporated household items as music instruments in telehealth
sessions.
Music therapists as facilitators of music experiences. Participants talked explicitly

about the ways their music therapists facilitate music experiences in the sessions,
and the skills they expect their music therapists to possess to provide these experiences
successfully.
James spoke highly of his primary music therapist’s skills at the piano. Specifically,
he stated that he appreciates it when his music therapists can musically support his
musical expressions. One of his music therapists had an encyclopedic knowledge of all
the songs he loves: “When I had my sessions with my previous music therapist, he
knew them all and he didn’t even need the books. [. . .] He had them all written down in
his brain and heart.” In the quote, James also talked about how his therapist puts his
heart in the music. He explained about this heart when describing how his current
primary music therapist accompanied James in his recreating a musical theatre song:
“He’s a master at that song when it comes to the piano. He puts a lot of power into the
song. When we got to the climax part, he started building up and . . . (singing power
fully and emotively) Touch me! It’s so easy to leave me all alone with the sun!”
Larry expects his music therapists to recreate versions of the songs he prefers. After
playing the version of the recording he prefers on his phone in the session, such as the
Rankin Bass special version of The Little Drummer Boy, he wanted the music thera
pists to recreate the music experience to be as close to the recording as possible, using
all the resources available in the session, from instruments to each client’s musical
skills. He appreciates that his music therapists guide him to achieve a high level of
musicianship.
Participants have concerns about their music therapists and the center. James, Larry,
and Robert shared that there were instances when they felt like their music therapists
were pushing them or their peers out of their comfort zone. In their narratives, they
demonstrated the ability to advocate for themselves and their peers in their sessions.
While self-advocacy is a valuable skill to have, participants shared that these uncom
fortable encounters were not pleasurable experiences and caused them varying degrees
of distress.
For example, James described how his music therapist would try to bring one of his
peers, Steve, physically into the proximity of the music group. Steve’s need for physical
distance was interpreted by James as a manifestation of his social anxiety. Therefore,
James supported Steve by telling his therapist “We’ve been dealing with this for almost
two years, so if Steve doesn’t want to join us, let him stay where he is. Let him stay. We
can’t change it.” James also had suggestions to improve the setting of NRMT, namely,
“more variety of books and toys for kids to play with.” He also had concern regarding
the elevators that led to the center. He suggested increasing accessibility for wheelchair
users in case the elevators break down.
Larry offered instances where he felt like his music therapists needed to better
respect his boundaries. He shared that “he (Larry’s therapist) keeps provoking me in
our music session”. Even though Larry declined to provide details of the provocation,
he shared that he advocated for himself by threatening to shave his therapist’s beard to
jokingly ask his therapist to back off. Larry’s use of the word “provoking,” reluctance to
share details of the event, and need to ask his therapist to back off in a joking manner
implied that his music therapist crossed a boundary. We reviewed a session video in
which his music therapist was advising him to use an umbrella in the rain through
a song. Larry felt like his therapist was “nagging” as he didn’t think the rain was heavy
enough to necessitate the use of an umbrella.
Theme 3: Participants bring their sociocultural identities into music therapy

sessions
Each participant described how the social and cultural systems they live in shape their
experiences in music therapy. These systems included the participants’ families, com
munities, media, and culture.
Participants’ experiences in their communities and music therapy intertwine.

Participants’ families and communities play an important role in their lives. Perhaps
the privilege of having supportive familial and financial structures in the participants’
lives afforded them the opportunity of attending NRMT sessions for a long time.
Regardless, the participants’ discussions about participants’ family frequently come up
in sessions, and their family and community members might be involved in sessions as
well.
Family plays an important part in James’s life. James credited his father as the
person who instilled his passion for music. James also worked through the loss of
family members in his NRMT sessions, as he described how these experiences were
similar to the many meetings and partings of NRMT peers and therapists.
Additionally, being a part of the disabled community is important to him. When
MYL informed James about the lack of autistic representation and voices in music
therapy research during the consent meeting, he was further inspired to participate
in this study. James conveyed that he has worked through self-doubt and anxiety
in NRMT. He hopes that he can be a role model for his disabled friends who have
self-doubt that “just because you have a disability doesn’t mean you can’t do
things.”
14 M. Y. LOW ET AL.
Larry also talked about feeling closely connected to his family and traveling with his
mother across the world. He feels that his parents are proud when they watch him
perform at the music therapy center. Conversely, his peers in his day habilitation
center and people in his community cause Larry stress. Two of his music therapy peers
attend the same day habilitation center. While he enjoys being with one of them
because he is “well-behaved,” Larry did not enjoy being in the same room with the
other because the person “misbehaves” by “making a spectacle” at their shared day
habilitation center. These feelings towards his peers are carried into the NRMT
sessions.
Aaron’s family is prominent in his life as well and topics about his family came up
frequently in NRMT sessions. He and his NRMT peers also sang an improvised song
about Mother’s Day in NRMT. In the song, he shared with his peers how he “made
a card” for his mother, and “liked” how he was able to use the song as an opportunity to
describe his love for his mother.
Participants bring their cultural selves and interests into the session. Culture and
media play a big part in the participants’ lives as they engage with their environment
and communities. They shared how they bring music, movies, TV shows, and culture
that is meaningful to them to NRMT sessions to build connections with one another
and develop deeper understanding of the material and themselves.
James, Larry, and Robert shared that they constantly engage with popular culture
and media. Popular music by their favorite artists – Michael Jackson, Madonna, Tina
Turner (James) and Whitney Houston (Robert) – is often shared in sessions. James
shared, “I thank my dad for introducing me to all that music so basically my father was
the first one who introduced me to all that stuff before I even came here, so I have a lot
to thank him for.” Participants’ favorite cartoons and movies are also cultural topics
that connect them with their therapists and each other.
Social and cultural norms that are widely accepted and engaged by neurotypical
majority communities can be confusing for participants. There are many cultural norms
that are easily understood by the neurotypical majority that could cause confusion and
distress with members of the autistic community. The confusion and distress might get
exacerbated when these cultural norms have further caveats and nuances. Participants
shared that they would bring up these confusion norms in their music therapy sessions.
For instance, Aaron and his peers found the practice of punching people in the arm for
not wearing green on Saint Patrick’s Day odd and distressing because they were taught it
was not nice to hit anyone in general. Global events also impacted the participants and
their NRMT experiences. MYL’s interviews with Aaron took place when New York City
was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In his NRMT sessions, Aaron and his
group discussed the pandemic, possible causes, and how it will affect their lives and
music therapy sessions. James still remembers vividly the trauma he experienced during
the attack of the World Trade Center in New York City on 9/11, worrying if his family
was safe, and how the disaster impacted the start of his music therapy sessions.
Discussion
Analysis of the descriptions shared by participants experiences resulted in rich under
standing of what NRMT means to them. Following the IPA method, MYL asked
participants in the research interviews to share the role NRMT plays in their lives
and why they continue to attend NRMT sessions. The themes will be further explored
in relation to the literature.
Reconsidering the music child

The participants’ experiences of NRMT align with Aigen’s (2005b) description of the
approach as music-centered music therapy. In music-centered music therapy, “the
mechanisms of music therapy process are located in the forces, experiences, processes,
and structures of music” (Aigen, 2005b, p. 18). The participants’ primary drive to
attend NRMT sessions was to make music with the music therapists and peers.
Through NRMT, the participants identified themselves as musicians, and they attend
NRMT sessions to nurture their musicianship. The self-identification of musicians that
the participants embody is related to the foundational NRMT philosophy that every
person has a relationship with music. Yet this self-identification of musicians is
remarkedly different from Nordoff et al.’s (2007) conception of “the music child” –
that a person’s musicality is the functioning and healthy part of themselves hidden
beneath a person’s conditions and challenges.
While “the music child” was revolutionary in the 1950s and 1960s, current critical
theories of disability would view the discourse as a deficiency and medical model of
understanding disabilities (Arneil & Hirschmann, 2016). Namely, the non-disabled self
is the healthy part of a person hidden under the disabled self, and it is the therapist’s
job to reach through a person’s disabled outer layer to bring the non-disabled self into
the forefront of the person. Verney (Verney & Ansdell, 2010) shared her concerns
regarding “the music child” based on her clinical experiences and raising a daughter
with cystic fibrosis. She perceived musical responses from her clients as a response
from the entirety of a person. Also, she understood her daughter’s condition and her
daughter’s self as one inseparable entity. Similarly, Aigen (2015) shared his concerns
about the original model of “the music child”, proposing that the outer “condition”
layer of the theory could be redefined as “any inner or outer obstacle to becoming
a more fully realized being,” therefore aligning more with the social model of under
standing disability (Arneil & Hirschmann, 2016; Pickard et al., 2020). Similar to
Verney’s and Aigen’s explorations of “the music child,” participants considered their
entire being as musical as they self-identified as musicians in their sessions.
Neurodiversity-affirmative music therapy practice

It is important to discuss the implications of the findings of this research for the current
trends of music therapy, autism research, especially patient-centered outcomes in autism
research. The most recent research on improvisational music therapy and autism focuses
on social interaction and communication outcomes (Bell et al., 2014; Bieleninik,
Geretsegger, etal., 2017; Carpente et al., 2021; Carpente, 2017; Kim et al., 2008). Yet
none of the participants shared that they attend music therapy to work on normalizing
their social and communication behaviors. While one could argue that these goals could
be subtly embedded or secondary to the music-centered goals, the questions remain
whether NRMT clients are aware of and consent to the therapeutic process they are
participating in. Participants described how rather than being trained to socialize and
communicate in neurotypical ways or mask their natural autistic selves, their individual
ways of socialization and communication are accepted and celebrated in NRMT.
16 M. Y. LOW ET AL.
Perhaps music therapy and other healthcare practices with autistic participants could be
informed by autistic voices (Gardner, 2017) – to learn more about their autistic selves
and their socialization and communication styles, how to advocate and represent their
true selves in their communities, and how to cope with an ableist society. Ableism
“expresses the ways in which the normative ideal of the mental and physical wholeness is
privileged in society: promoting an unobtainable corporeal aesthetic that encourages
bodily projects towards that end” (Shaw, 2022, p. 2). In a society that privileges
“normalcy” and forces autistic people to mask their natural ways of being in order to
“conform” and appear “healthy”, we propose, based on our findings, that music therapy
could be a place of respite for autistic people to celebrate their natural selves while
gaining skills and tools for self-advocacy and preservation.
Participants shared that through NRMT, they identified the areas of anxiety reduc
tion, self-advocacy, self-acceptance, self-expression, and musical skills as their desired
outcomes from NRMT. Research has shown that many autistic people experience anxiety
(Kent & Simonoff, 2017) and challenges in self-advocacy (Petri et al., 2021) and self-
acceptance (Bernardin et al., 2021; Pearson & Rose, 2021). Perhaps a combination of
Community Music Therapy (Stige & Aarø, 2011; Stige et al., 2010) and Resource-
Oriented Music Therapy (Rolvsjord, 2010) could honor participants’ strength towards
social inclusion, equity, and wellbeing in an ableist society. Clinicians could also explore
if music therapy services can help autistic participants better understand neurotypical
culture and norms that do not naturally make sense to the autistic community.
Reconsidering the role of Nordoff-Robbins music therapists

Participants shared how the skills of their music therapists were central and essential to
their experiences and growth in NRMT sessions. To meet their musical needs, their
music therapists had to be therapeutically sensitive in meeting their clients’ musical
needs, be skilled sight readers and improvisors who can recreate aesthetically accurate
and culturally sensitive music experiences. Moreover, they need to have a sense of
humor that can build therapeutic rapport, empathic verbal counseling skills, and music
teaching and guiding skills that can help their clients develop their musicianship
(Aigen, 2005a; Ritholz, 2014). All of these qualities can be found in Robbins’s descrip
tion of the skills needed to be poised in the creative now (Turry, 2001). However, as
participants defined their musical being and their experiences differently from current
music therapy literature, perhaps it is time to critically examine founding Nordoff-
Robbins and other music therapy values such as The Music Child through anti-ableist
(Aigen, 2015; Baines, 2021; Pickard et al., 2020; Verney & Ansdell, 2010) and post-
ableist (Shaw, 2022) points of view to expand the understanding of NRMT and music
therapy processes in ways that center clients’ perspectives and experiences.
Reconsidering music therapy research

This IPA study provides a voice for autistic participants in the field of music therapy,
a voice that has been sorely missing in our body of knowledge from qualitative studies.
While Markworth’s (2014) interviews with music therapists found the importance of
music as a communication medium between therapist and client; and Schwartzberg
and Silverman’s (2016) interviews with parents of autistic children found that music
therapy is an enjoyable form of treatment that addresses generalizable goals and helps
parents support their children, neither of the studies obtained similar findings to this
study. One could posit from a music-centered and arts-informed perspective that
Nordoff-Robbins case studies such as Playin’ in the Band (Aigen, 2002) include
participants’ music as first-person responses. However, this study was purposeful in
inviting participants to explore their own interpretations of the music they created in
their sessions, further centering and elevating autistic voices in research. Furthermore,
as shared by Gardner (2017), service providers could benefit from understanding
autistic people’s needs and experiences in services. Therefore, future explorations
could employ more descriptive approaches of phenomenological research, by autistic
researchers or in collaboration with the autistic community. However, researchers
should also take note of how phenomenological interviews such as the one used in this
study could be a burden for autistic participants, and might deter potential participants
like the one person who declined to participate in this study to share their valuable
perspectives.
Future researchers could critically examine music therapy practice and educa
tion from an anti-oppressive and disability theory lens. Reed (2019) shared results
from her ongoing thesis study about how ableism is saturated throughout founda
tional music therapy texts that are still being used in music therapy training
programs in the United States. Other researchers have also engaged in critical
disability studies as evidenced by the special issue on music therapy and disability
studies (Hadley, 2014), and the explorations by Pickard and colleagues on music
therapy and the neurodiversity movement (Pickard et al., 2020). However, we have
not seen explicit guidelines or evolutions in longstanding music therapy practice
which honors natural autistic identities and behaviors in current literature.
As participants reported gains in musical skills, anxiety reduction, self-
acceptance, and self-expression through NRMT, perhaps researchers could explore
the impact of music therapy on these areas and other patient-centered outcomes in
future studies. As explained earlier, most of music therapy research has focused on
measuring the effects of music therapy on normalization of social and communica
tion behaviors in participants. However, none of the participants in this study
shared that they attended music therapy sessions to normalize how they socialize
and communicate. On the contrary, they felt that their socialization and commu
nication behaviors were understood and supported by their therapists. Research has
demonstrated how masking naturally autistic behaviors can have a negative impact
on autistic people, causing further harm and disparities (Miller et al., 2021; Pearson
& Rose, 2021). However, autistic people do experience constant ableism in the
world due to discrimination and implicit biases about them (Jones et al., 2021).
Perhaps another area of research to explore is whether music therapy can promote
self-advocacy skills for autistic participants in their communities. Furthermore,
researchers could consider music-centered or music therapy specific measures in
future studies as participants shared that their growth was gained through music
experiences.
Finally, participants shared that they attended music therapy sessions to nurture
their relationships with their communities. As music therapists and researchers, we
are curious about how networks in a music therapy group in a music therapy center
setting develop and evolve. Perhaps researchers could employ a social network
survey to explore the relationships built between clients, their caregivers and family
members, music therapists, and staff at the center to explore the complex
18 M. Y. LOW ET AL.
connections within that ecosystem. As far as we know, no network research has been
conducted to understand the relationships in a music therapy group. Network
surveys could also be used to explore the role of music therapy in a participant’s
life, considering the complex supports, services, and communities that an autistic
person may be involved in.
Limitations, possibilities, and personal reflections

There are several limitations to this research. The participants shared many demo
graphic similarities (autistic, men, English-speaking, living in New York City, and
NRMT clients). Therefore, the findings of this study may not be transferable to other
autistic communities and autistic people who receive music therapy services in other
models and approaches. Next, at the time of this study, all participants had been
attending NRMT for at least 2 years. The fact that they were still attending sessions
after an extended period suggests that the participants are likely biased toward having
positive experiences in NRMT as they willingly attend their sessions and have been
attending them for a long time. Further, since these participants were recruited based on
their music therapists’ recommendations, it is possible that their music therapists only
recommended participants who have had positive experiences in music therapy. This
likely accounts for the fact that mostly positive experiences were shared by the partici
pants. Last, the lead researcher, MYL, had prior relationships with three of the partici
pants. James and Larry were participants in his music therapy group while he was
training at the center eight years ago and Robert identified him as a staff member of the
center. Therefore, the data that James, Larry, and Robert provided in the interviews may
have been affected by this prior relationship. Based on these limitations and in addition
to the recommendations above, we suggest that future studies should consider recruit
ing non-speaking, women-identifying, genderqueer/autigender (people whose experi
ence of their gender is influenced by their autistic identity), and recipients of music
therapy services outside of New York City and other models of music therapy.
Innovative and creative research methods should be considered to increase accessibility
to participants who might experience more barriers in traditional research methods.
Researchers should also consider recruiting autistic participants who have left music
therapy services to explore what challenges they might have experienced in sessions.
As a Nordoff-Robbins music therapist who has worked with some of the participants
and continues to engage in Nordoff-Robbins scholarship, MYL, the lead researcher,
would like to offer transparency about his personal position and how it might affect the
conceiving of the research, the recruitment and interview process, and the data analysis
process. As explained in the reflexive introduction, MYL’s interest in this research topic
stemmed from identifying not only gaps in music therapy and autism literature, but also
to elevate and center autistic voices in this study. Therefore, even though the lead
researcher approached this study from a constructivist lens (Lincoln & Guba, 2013),
they were also informed by critical disability theory (Arneil & Hirschmann, 2016) and
inspired by autistic advocates throughout this study. As a music therapist, MYL was
impacted by how participants experienced NRMT as a welcoming musical space which
they attend weekly as their authentic selves. It affirmed what drew the lead researcher to
NRMT in the first place, namely to co-create a nourishing musical environment with
clients for them to grow and thrive in. Upon reflection, perhaps his personal values as
a Nordoff-Robbins music therapist and admirer of Nordoff-Robbins predecessors such
as Paul Nordoff, Clive Robbins, and Alan Turry have influenced his interpretation of the
data. However, MYL, under the mentorship of his dissertation committee, also believes
that it is with a deep admiration and understanding of NRMT literature, philosophies,
and culture, that the lead researcher was able to interpret the participants’ meaning
making of their lived experiences. We believe that the lead researcher’s training in
NRMT and respect for the current critical discourse of music therapy knowledge
drove him to explore NRMT theory and practice critically.
Conclusion
The findings of this study shed light on the lived experiences of autistic young adult men
in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. Specifically, participants shared that they attend
NRMT to develop their musicianship and personal selves; create meaningful relation
ships with their peers, music therapists, and music; and bring their sociocultural
identities into NRMT sessions. These findings not only affirm that autistic participants
have valuable insight in their music therapy experiences, but also give music therapists
and other autism-related healthcare professions and researchers new, Neurodiversity-
Affirmative, considerations when working with the autistic community. According to
the participants’ narratives, they have been attending NRMT for years, some over
a decade. That is a long time for a person to attend therapy at the same site. What
does NRMT offer these participants that is meaningful for them? To the participants,
NRMT is their friendly community resource that they access once a week. NRMT is
a place where it is safe for the participants to be themselves, make music with their
friends, laugh, love, and grow. Once (or twice) a week, participants get to ride the
elevator to the top of the Empire State to meet their friends and music therapists and
embark on 30 to 60 minutes of a musical adventure together as their authentic, autistic,
musical selves.
Disclosure statement
Joke Bradt is Editor-in-chief of the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy. To avoid conflict of interest,
Joke Bradt was fully masked to the editorial process including peer review and editorial decisions and
had no access to records of this manuscript. No other potential conflict of interest was reported by the
authors.
Funding
The authors reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.
Acknowledgments
This study was completed in partial fulfillment of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Drexel
University. We, the authors, would like to thank Dr. Alan Turry and the staff and therapists at the
Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy at New York University for their support and assistance
throughout the study. We would also like to express gratitude to the participants of this study for
sharing their valuable experiences with us.
20 M. Y. LOW ET AL.
Notes on contributors
Ming Yuan Low, PhD, MT-BC, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapist is an assistant professor of music
therapy at Berklee College of Music. His research interests include participatory action research in
partnership with autistic people and critical inquiries in music therapy.
Katrina Skewes McFerran is Professor of Music Therapy and Head of the Creative Arts Therapy
program at The University of Melbourne. She is a music therapist, lecturer, and researcher whose
work has focused on young people using music for wellbeing in a range of contexts. She has created an
open-access MOOC called How Music Can Change Your Life, and a TedX talk on Coming Back From
the Darkside with Music. She has also published 5 books and more than 90 refereed journal articles.
Kat privileges qualitative research that provides rich and reflexive accounts of music and music
therapy in people’s lives.
Michael Viega, Michael Viega, Ph.D., LCAT, MT-BC, is an Associate Professor of Music at the John J.
Cali School of Music at Montclair State University, and a Fellow in the Association of Music and
Imagery.
Amy Carroll-Scott is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health and Prevention
and the Urban Health Collaborative at the Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health. Her research
focuses on understanding and addressing urban health inequities and underlying social inequities, in
partnership with community anchor institutions. Current projects include the evaluation of the West
Philly Promise Neighborhood, research partnerships with community-based organizations to support
their community violence work, and scholarship focused on how research and governmental institu
tions can support community agendas. Prior to Drexel, Dr. Carroll-Scott was Director of Research for
the Yale Community Alliance for Research and Engagement. She received her MPH from UC
Berkeley, her PhD from UCLA, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Yale School of Public Health. She co-
leads the Policy and Community Engagement Core of the Drexel Urban Health Collaborative.
Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the AJ Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel
University and faculty lead at the Social Dynamics of Intervention Lab. Dr. McGhee Hassrick’s work
focuses on: 1) identifying ecosystems of support that provide social capital for autistic people at
different life stages; 2) investigating social network interventions for autistic children, their families
and providers in schools, districts and community organizations; and 3) using network data to
support collaborative networks among community, educational and service sector organizations
that serve underrepresented autistic children, youth and adults and their families and communities
and has a history of NIMH funding as Co-PI (R21MH121731-01A1) and multiple other federal
agencies (e.g., IES, HRSA).
Joke Bradt, PhD, MT-BC is Professor and Director of the PhD Program in Creative Arts Therapies at
Drexel University. Her federally funded research has focused on the use of music therapy interven
tions for chronic pain and illness, and symptom management.
ORCID
Ming Yuan Low http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9835-1970
Katrina Skewes McFerran http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0699-3683
Michael Viega http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4269-5184
Amy Carroll-Scott http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2421-5351
Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0520-2598
Joke Bradt http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7313-9829
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Exploring The Lived Experiences of Young Autistic Adults in Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

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Exploring the lived experiences of young autistic

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Exploring the lived experiences of young autistic adults

ARTICLE HISTORY Received 22 November 2021; Accepted 4 November 2022

Interpretative phenomenological analysis

congruency between the researcher’s analysis and the participants’ interpretation

Themes and categories

Theme 1: Participants attend NRMT to develop their musicianship and personal

Participants identify themselves as musicians. The participants talked extensively

Participants grow and develop in NRMT. Participants reported attending NRMT

Theme 2: Participants create meaningful relationships with their peers, music

Participants cultivate meaningful connections in NRMT. The participants shared that

Music therapists as trusted, familial confidants. The participants identified their

Music therapists as facilitators of music experiences. Participants talked explicitly

Theme 3: Participants bring their sociocultural identities into music therapy

Participants’ experiences in their communities and music therapy intertwine.

Reconsidering the music child

Neurodiversity-affirmative music therapy practice

Reconsidering the role of Nordoff-Robbins music therapists

Reconsidering music therapy research

Limitations, possibilities, and personal reflections

Aigen, K. (2005b). Music-centered music therapy. Barcelona Publishers.

data. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 31(5), 481–483. https://doi.org/10.1080/08098131.2022.

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